Re: MT's in Histology

From:

Lee & Peggy Wenk

I'm not an MT, but I would like to respond from
what I THINK I know about this.

In most labs in the US, Clinical Pathology has
both MT (baccalaureate degree) and MLT (associate degree). In
most labs in the US, the histology lab has just HT (histologic
technicians). And traditionally the HT have had only a high school diploma.
There are very few HTL (histotechnologists) with the baccalaureate degree. Many
labs do not even have a HTL position created.

So, for most MTs, if they want to work in
histology, they have to go from a technologist/baccalaureate position to a
technician/high school-associate degree position. So there is a drop in
pay.

From the 2000 ASCP Wage and Salary Survey, the
median starting and top salaries were:

MT - $14.00 - 20.50

HT - $12.00 - 17.30

HTL - $13.90 - 19.90

(Around the Detroit area, wages currently are
$2-3/hour higher for all positions.)

So, if the hospital that she will be working
in, only employs HT, regardless of their educational background, she will be
taking a $4000-6000 drop in wages per year.

And just because someone has a baccalaureate
degree, does not necessarily mean the lab will pay them as a histotechnologist.
If everyone does the same work, everyone gets the same pay. And in our case,
everyone would be paid as a histologic technician.

As for how they get training in histology -
just like most of the people in histology - on the job (OJT). She finds a lab
that needs a histotech, but can't find someone already trained in
histotechnology to hire. So the lab hires someone, shows then how to
section, do some stains, use the equipment. It's usually up to the person to
read the books to find out the theory and chemistry, and to learn about the rest
of the procedures that are not done in the lab they have been hired
in.

This is another reason for the difference in pay.
The majority of MT and MLT have been trained in an accredited program. The
majority of HT (85% who take the HT exam) come through the OJT
route.